Typewriter box



v E; T. JOHNSON 2,]l37,293

TYPEWRITER Box v Filed-Sept. l0, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov.. 2552; 1938.

Nov. 22, i9. d E. T. .JOHNSON 2,137,293

TYPEWRITER BOX Filed Spt. 10, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR EDM/iw ZJOHN50/V Patented Nov. 22, 1938 TYPEWRITER Box` Edward T. Johnson, Greenfield, Mass., assignor to The New England Box Company, Greenfield;l

Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application September 10, 1935, Serial No. 39,891

6 Claims.

:Thisinventionr relates to a shipping package designed toresilientlysuspend a relatively heavy, delicate` articlein the interior thereof and to havei an"- exterior which isrelatively strong and rigid sothat it will serve to protectthegoods.

T-hey package of my invention is particularly suitable for use `in shipping heavy machines suchasA typewriters, calculating machines, precision instruments and the like, and. is designed to re- 101 siliently .support these machines sothat the package'.` may4 be subjectedto a considerable amount of, rough treatment without any damage to the contents- Ordinarily in shipping such things-as typewriters; forexample, there is provided a box of wooden or other construction which is very solid and4 which isA ma-defjust` the right size to t the machine. The typewriter is then placed in thebox and securely wedged in place. to prevent relative movement betweenfthe box and the type#- writer.` This` type of package is quite suitable if handled.; very carefully,.but there is. always the danger that the box may be dropped or struck a` cated and expensive and unsatisfactory for Variousother reasons. i

It is an object of my invention.- to` provide a novel, simple construction whereby the typewriter, ory other machine, is spaced from the walls of the containergis locked in thebox by simply closing the lid thereof but is resiliently suspended andis free to'move a limited amount, insufficient to produce solid engagement with the box walls when `the container is subjected to rough han* dling. v i

One feature of my invention is the provision of a structure of the character explained which is economical to produce and which, if desired may be made completely of wood.

A. further feature isthe provision of. a box or container of the type speciiiced which is of Vsimple constructionandV adapted to contain machines of var-ying sizes and one which may be very readily re-used.

Further featuresfand `advantages will be made apparent from` the. following description of one 50 embodiment of my invention Iillustrated inthe drawings, in` which:

Figure 1 isa vertical, transverse cross-section taken nearone. end of a package formed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2`is avertical, longitudinal cross section through thepackage showing certain locking meansA for the resilient machine support, said section being taken onv the line 2-2` of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section through the box. on the line 3--3'v of Figure 2 showing the resilient support in `cross section.

VFigure 4 is a plan View of my improved package with the lid removed and having a portion of the resilient support broken away to disclose certaindetails, and

Figure 5 isa detail in vertical section on the line 55v ofA Figure 4 illustrating one method of attaching a machine to the resilient support.

Numeral Il!` indicates generally a box which may be made in a conventional way of wood as illustrated, or of other suitable material. It is preferably of a fairly rigid and solid construction capable of resisting breakage or damage in the course ofroughhandlingwhen loaded. This box comprises a bottom member II, lid I2 and side members. [3,14, togetherA with suitable endpieces i5, I6. The side members and end pieces may be joined.A at the corners inany suitable way as by a dovetail or lock corner construction or the like. Fixed` to each of the sides I 3, I4 by any suitable means such ase nails, screws, or bolts, are pairs ofvertically extending cleats Il, I'I and I8, I8 with the topendsIS thereof spaced. fromI the top. edge of the box a convenient distance, for a-purpose to be described.

.The resilient support for the machine contained. in the package preferably comprises a section of.` ply wood-2|., which is adapted to rest directly on the `ends of the xedcleats I'I, I'I and I8,.fl8. `I. have found a or 3&0" ply wood sheet quite satisfactory `for supporting a typewriter. Fixed to opposite edgeson the underside of and centrally disposed on this resilient support are two cleats 22, 22 which are of the right lengthtosnugly fit between the pairs of vertically extendingV cleats I'I, Hand I8, I8 to prevent side or. edgewise movement of the resilient support longitudinally with respect to the box. Carried on the topof the support and directly above the -cleats 22., 22' are aA pair` of locking cleats 23, 23, which.` are of the correct thickness to take up the space. between the resilient support and the lid ofthe box.

It will be seen from the foregoing that two of the end. edgescf the resilient support areiirmly locked in p1ace-against any form of movement with respect to the box when the package is in its. assembled position and the lid is rmly fastened'down. Upward movement is prevented by the c1eats23acting against the cover; downward movement is prevented by cleats I1 and I8; transverse movement (i. e., across Figure l) is prevented by engagement of the cleats 22 and 23 as well as the ends of the ply wood with the walls I3 and I4, While longitudinal movement (i. e., across Figure 2) is prevented by cleats 22 acting on cleats I1 and I8. wood, or'similar material 2 I, is resilient and flexible those portions of it intermediate the end edges will be free to move up and down a limited extent but it will always'tend to substantially straighten out. Thus this member serves as a resilient support for anything attached to it.

The machineor other merchandise to be packed is preferably rigidly mounted on the support 2| so that it hangs downwardly in the box. Any suitable means may be employed to fix the machine to the exible support.

In the` drawings I have illustrated one type of means which I prefer to employ for shipping typewriters. Typewriters ordinarily have four legs which may very readily be made hollow and threaded.A These legs or standards of the machine may be spaced from the flexible support by a pair of cleats 24, 24 and suitable washer members 25, as best shown in Fig. 5. Cleats 24 are provided with holes 26 to receive bolts 21 and are also preferably undercut as at 28 in any suitable manner, to provide room for cup shaped washers 29, which are fitted in holes 3|) in the ply wood member 2|. Suitable lock washers 3| may be employed if desired. It will be understood that the assembly is maintained by the bolts 21.

is sacriced. In fact the cleats tend to stiifen the Ysupport somewhat although not to an objectionable extent, particularly since they are not m secured to the ply wood except by means of the bolts 21. It will be apparent that in supporting heavy machines, such as typewriters and calculating machines, it is necessary to make the structure rather sturdy and too great a flexibility is not desirable.

-' 2| is preferably of the right length to fit across the box but it is not as wide as the lengthA of the box thus leaving spaces at the two opposite edges adjacent the box ends I5 and I6 so that the machine maybe readily lowered and raised Without injuring the hands. Furthermore, this arrangement makes it possible to employ the same sized ply wood boards for typewriters having carriages of different lengths. The mere fact that a larger box is required for alarger carriage does not necessitate a change in the size of the ply Wood support. The cleats 23 are flush with the top of the box so that when the lid is closed and firmly secured the typewriter is locked in its correct position, spaced froml all of the six walls of the box and free to move, in opposition to the yielding restraining force of the ply wood, whenever the box is jarred. y Y

As previously stated, the box may be veryY advantageously made'with a lock corner or a dovetail construction although any other suitable con- Since the section of plyV By the use of the various washer members and cleats i very little, if any, strength of the resilient support struction may be employed. It should be formed of wood of suitable thickness to withstand the roughest handling to which the box is likely to be subjected. The bottom, which is the most vulnerable part of the box, should be made somewhat thicker than the sides and top. I also prefer to apply one or more metal bales or bands of some type around the exterior of the box to lend further strength. Such ashipping package combines interior flexibility with exterior strength and rigidity. Furthermore, the construction may be readily standardized so that a relatively small number of different sized parts will accommodate a large variety of machines. The box may very readily ber reusedbyvsimply lifting out one machine and replacing it by another which need not be of identically the same size so long as the ply wood support and its cleats are appropriate.

Many modifications may be employed within the scope of my invention. For example, the cleats 23, 23k could be nailed to the lid' of the box rather than to the resilient support 2|. If desired, one of the cleats 22 may be made longer than the other and the cleats I1, I1 and I8, I8 spaced apart'diiferent distances'so that the machine to be shipped will fit in the box in only one position. Any Aother suitable locking means might also be employed although I prefer the construction illustrated because of its simplicity of manufacture and use.

The resilient support may, if desired, be of the same dimensions as the interior of the box and have cut out portions or handles so that it may be easily lifted. In this case the cleats 22 may' be omitted. f

If the machine to be suspended is not equippe with legs or standards having screw threaded openingsto receive thebolts 21 the latter may simply be passed through eyelets on a looped wire, or bail, or the like which may be engaged under a suitable portion of the machine frame to support the same.

- If desired, the cleats 22 might be omitted and their function supplied by other means. For example, the vertical cleats I1, `I8 might be partly cut away at their tops to provide shoulders for receiving and supporting the ply wood member and to provide upstanding fingers cooperating with the edges of the ply wood to prevent lateral movement thereof. Y

To assist in distributing the pressure of the supporting member on the walls of the box during endwise movement of the support the cleats 22 may be partly cut away at their ends to provide a portion on each snugly Iitting between the vertical cleats I1, I1 or I8, I8 and portions at the ends overlying these vertical cleats.' In this way the thrust willvbe transmitted, at least in part, to thecleats I1 andV I8 which willrin turn distribute the pressure over a greater portion of the walls I3 and I4.

Numerous other variations in the details of construction will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. y

The terms and expressions employed herein are used for purposes of description and not of limitation. It is recognized that many modiiications of the construction disclosed may be made within the scope of the present invention.

What I claim is: I

1. A shipping package of the class described, comprising a relatively strong and rigid container, a fiexible supportlin sheet form spaced from the top and bottom of said container, said support having its ends restingl on supports fixed to the inside walls of the container, and a cover for said container constructed and arranged to hold said support removably in place.

2. A shipping package of the class described, comprising a relatively strong and rigid container, means fixed to the inner side of the walls of said container, a flexible support in sheet form supported at its edges by said means, and means between said support and the container cover to prevent upward movement of said support when the cover of the container is in place, said last named means being unattached to said walls.

3. A shipping package of the class described, comprising a relatively strong and rigid container, means xed to the inner side of the Walls of said container, a flexible support in sheet form supported at its edges by said means, means to prevent upward movement of said support when the cover of the container is in place, and means coacting with said rst named means to prevent edgewise movement of said support relative to the container.

4. Ashipping package comprising a container for relatively heavy, delicate merchandise, a resilient support comprising a sheet of ply Wood, cleats xed to opposite inner walls of the container and arranged to receive said. support, cleats xed to said support adjacent opposite edges thereof and adapted to prevent lateral movement of said support when it rests on the rst mentioned cleats, and means to lock the edges of said support in place only when the lid of said container is applied.

5. A shipping package comprising a container ,for relatively heavy, delicate merchandise, a resilient support comprising a sheet of ply Wood, cleats xed to opposite inner Walls of the container and arranged to receive said support, cleats xed to said support adjacent opposite edges thereof and adapted to prevent lateral movement of said support when it rests on the first mentioned cleats, and means carried by said support cooperating with the lid for holding the support in position when the lid of the container is applied.

6. A shipping package as dened in claim 5 in which the flexible support is supported only at its ends with side edges thereof spaced from the Walls of the container, and means for preventing lateral movement of said support in said container when the cover is closed.

EDWARD T. JOHNSON. 

